A modified analysis for the prediction of the differential rain attenuation between a satellite path and an adjacent terrestrial microwave system

A problem in the design of a satellite communication system can arise when an adjacent terrestrial path operating at the same frequency interferes with the slant path in the Earth station antenna. Rain will cause attenuation and the attenuation of the wanted signal can be greater than that of the unwanted signal. When this difference in attenuation becomes sufficiently large, then the signal from the adjacent terrestrial path can cause interference. The analysis of the interference leads to the consideration of the joint effects of rain attenuation, of the wanted signal and the attenuation, of the potential interfering signal. The subject of the paper is the proper modification of the existing analysis for the differential attenuation prediction by considering the more accurate description of the rain height. The modified predictive analysis is further applied to the unique available set of experimental data taken from Yokosuka, Japan by Hosoya et al (1980). The influence of the novel more realistic assumptions for the rain height, as a function of the latitude of the location, is examined.